Your First Chart
This guide walks you through adding the Sankey Diagram to a Power BI report and connecting it to data. The Sankey Diagram is a good starting point because it has a simple data model (drag categorical columns into the Levels well and a measure into Value) and produces a visually distinctive result you can verify immediately.
Prerequisites
- Power BI Desktop installed, or access to Power BI Service in edit mode
- The Sankey Diagram visual installed (see Installing)
- A data source with at least two categorical columns and one numeric column
Step 1 — Add the Visual to the Canvas
- Open your report in Power BI Desktop or the Power BI Service (edit mode).
- Click the Sankey Diagram icon in the Visualizations pane.
- A blank visual placeholder appears on the report canvas. Resize and position it as needed.
Step 2 — Bind Your Data
With the visual selected, open the Data tab in the Visualizations pane (the fields icon). You will see these data roles:
| Data Role | What to drag here | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Levels | Categorical columns in hierarchy order (min 2) | Category, Subcategory, Region |
| Value | The numeric weight of each flow | Revenue, Units sold |
| Group (optional) | A field to create small multiples | Year, Scenario |
Drag your fields from the Fields pane into the Levels well. The order you drag them determines the left-to-right flow direction. For example, dragging Category, then Subcategory, then Region creates a 3-level Sankey: Category → Subcategory → Region.
The chart renders as soon as you have at least 2 level fields and a value measure.
Step 3 — Configure Basic Settings
Open the Format tab (the paint roller icon) to adjust appearance.
Color Scheme
Under Colors, choose a palette or assign individual colors to nodes. BTA Charts visuals support Power BI's theme colors by default, so the chart will match your report theme without manual configuration.
Legend
Under Legend, toggle the legend on or off and set its position (top, bottom, left, right). The legend labels correspond to the node values.
Labels
Under Data Labels, toggle "Show" to enable percentage and value display on node labels. Each node will show its name, percentage of the level total, and absolute value (e.g., Furniture 26% (162)). You can independently toggle percentage and value display.
Step 4 — Verify Tooltips
Hover over a flow band or a node to confirm that the default tooltip shows the node name, level name, total flow value, and percentage share. Tooltip fields can be extended under the Tooltip data role if you need additional measures in the popup.
Next Steps
- Read the full Sankey Diagram documentation for advanced options including node repositioning, highlight behavior, and small multiples.
- Explore Shared Concepts to understand data roles and formatting patterns that apply to all BTA Charts visuals.
- Browse the full chart library to find the right visual for your next use case.